My adult children say better a Cyborg, than a Borg! Events over the past three days have been interesting:
- 3 mornings ago: Watch Great Gray Owl hunt just after sunrise (bike ride in afternoon)
- 2 days ago: Rest day prior to surgery when it was moved up by almost 7 weeks
- Yesterday: Surgery
Without going into all the details, I am doing fine this morning (post surgery). My planned Ablation (blocks extra electronic signals in the heart) turned into a Pacemaker Replacement to get a new model implanted which 100% controls your heart. Some pacemakers assist the heart, but the more complex “3 lead” versions totally control the heart. Shut my pacemaker down now, and you shut me down.
I am beginning to feel like the “6 Million Dollar Man” for those of you that remember the TV show from the early 1970’s (TV video trailer link for email subscribers). You would need to be a “sci-fi freak” (which I am) to understand my Cyborg / Borg opening sentence. The statement was sent by one of my kids after I texted them this video clip last night. Towards the end of the video, the narrator talks about all the operations and devices installed in “Colonel Steve Austin”. (Wikipedia link)
Over the next 7 to 14 days after recovery from surgery I will learn my new normal. Prior to this point, I got tired very easily but was still pushing my myself to hike, bike and bird. Birding and blogging will be part of the new equation.
Now on to some birding. As noted three mornings back I had the good fortune to watch a Great Gray Owl hunt just after sunrise. Given the combination of ground fog and forest fire smoke, the light was a bit subdued which kept my friend out past sunrise. The owl’s feathers were quite wet from diving into sopping wet grasses. Here are a few of the images I took …
How many of you have Guard Dogs? or at least does Fido let you know when strangers appear? While I don’t have a dog anymore, I do have a “Guard Hummingbird”. Apparently my Bee Balm is prime stuff and worth guarding from other hummingbirds. This female or immature male has set up shop in a small dead tree ten yards from my flowers. Any other hummingbird which appears get quickly chased away! I like these photos because it gives a clear view of the hummer’s feathers.
Your reference to the hummer saying it’s a young male or a female is intriguing to me. My sister showed me a dead one that had hit a window on her porch. Its identical to the one in the photo. So what is a layman to do? Do I wait for it to get a red neck under its chin? Any tips you can give me would certainly be appreciated..
It can be hard to see, but generally a female ruby throat (mature or juvenile) will have a solid white throat, but a young male will start to have some gray streaking on the throat.
Loved “The Six Million Dollar Man” as a kid! But don’t want to be one. You continue to “take care!”, Rich.
so happy to hear you’re in recovery mode- and i’m smiling at the hummingbird on guard duty! i’m almost getting hit by some in the yard these days as i move around out there. i guess it’s their yard and flowers more than mine! many thanks for all your work and for sharing the beauty of birds with us!
Glad you’re doing well. Great pictures.